Day 9: The Wisconsin Movement.

bluecheddar Uncategorized

I no longer wake up. I snap awake. Good morning Wisconsin.

Jesse Jackson Will Walk Students Into East High School, 8AM

Madison teachers will return to duties today. Jesse Jackson will speak to them. “Just before classes start at East High School, Jackson plans to march from First Street and East Mifflin Street to the East parking lot for a rally.” (I literally just dropped my jaw as I realized I am a 10 minute walk away from that spot as I sit on my couch. The mountain has come to Muhamed.) Then Jackson will speak to East students over the loudspeaker after the school bell rings.

10:30AM UW Professor Walk Out

While elementary and secondary teachers return to work after being absent since Feb 16, UW Madison teachers will leave. At 10:30AM professors will “meet on Bascom Hill and join with UW Faculty Organizing for Change and the Teaching Assistants’ Association in the march. today.

11AM Wisconsin State Assembly Convenes

Watch live on Wisconsin Eye [It’s a non-profit. Donate please.]

Noon Parent-Led Rally In Support of Teachers

The facebook page.

Can’t Be Here? Do the Virtual Rally

Wear your read shirt, take a pic, send it into this site. They stand in solidarity with us on the web and in Pennsylvania.Check it out:Virtual WI Solidarity Rally [Thanks!]

SCFL Seriously Discusses a General Strike

At about 10PM last night, the South Central Federation of Labor (AFL CIO) voted to call a general strike IF the “Budget Reform Bill” passes. Mike Elk’s article, Michael Moore’s site.

“Wisconsin WAVE” Coalition Forms To Fight for Workers

Ben Manski leads the charge. Audio of press conference and article at FireDogLake

Security Update from Anonymous Source

At Forward Lookout. Sounds like it’s going to be tighter at the Capitol.

Tracy Fuller and Troopers Vow to Follow Any Orders. But….

Wisconsin Law Enforcement Association (WLEA) executive board president Tracy Fuller: “I guess that’s the one ironic thing about this,” he continued. “Last night my wife asked me to make a sign for her to take down there to protest. On that day, I thought to myself I could be making a protest sign for my wife to take down there … Then I could be down there confronting my wife with the protest sign that I made. God, you see … That’s … That’s my job.” This is good reading. The Raw Story

2 thoughts on “Day 9: The Wisconsin Movement.”

  1. Of course, the end of the Afghanistan War would mean that people with whom Walker is cozy would lose some important revenue streams. Remember Wackenhut, the war contractors that disgraced us by holding drunken, nude firelight romps in Afghanistan on the State Department’s dime? Walker got them a sweet privatized state security contract in a prior fit of “cost-savings” that failed to add up. But who needs to rein in death, destruction and obscenity when you can take a whack at the unions, right? Walker’s not actually interested in fixing a supposed emergency. He’s interested in paying off allies and zinging enemies, and you can tell that by his silence on war spending that’s bleeding his state taxpayers dry.

    Oh look, here’s some payback. Nothing like no-bid contracts to sell or lease public power facilities to pay back folks who might have an interest in Wisconsin’s energy industry.

    MSNBC did not have a transcript available, but the gist of Rachel Maddow’s report is this: When Scott Walker was in charge in Milwaukee, he decided to fire the security guards who worked at the courthouse. Those security guards were public employees represented by unions. He had no grounds to fire them beyond saying that he could, despite opposition by the county Board. When they blocked him, Walker insisted that he could fire them because there was a “budget emergency.” All of the union security guards were fired, and Scott Walker replaced them with Wackenhut private security guys.

    This is why Wisconsin is so important. Walker got away with it once on a local level. Walker practices classic “Shock Doctrine” politics: Create a crisis, exploit the crisis, and do away with rights ordinary people have had for years. As part of the process, privatize public services so the “market” can make adjustments.

    During the height of the health care town hall Tea Party protests, not even a fraction of the numbers in Wisconsin showed up, but to hear the media tell the tale, the Tea Party is the only populist, grass roots movement in the country. Yet 68,000 people showed up over the weekend in Madison. Thousands of others are protesting all around the country. This is where the line in the sand is, and if Walker is forced to back down, other governors will have to do the same eventually.

    Fight on, Wisconsin. It’s worth it. As for Wackenhut, it would be best if the market forces pushed it straight to hell sooner rather than later.

    h/t C&L

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